Age 3 plus
Grace and the Christmas Angel
Lucinda Riley, Harry Whittaker and Jane Ray
IF your best-laid plans for Christmas are in danger of
falling apart, take inspiration and comfort from a beautiful illustrated story
by mother and son partnership, bestselling novelist Lucinda Riley and award-winning
BBC radio presenter Harry Whittaker.
This brand new Guardian Angel series – packed with the colourful and evocative illustrations of the talented Jane Ray – was devised by Harry and Lucinda before she sadly died in June this year, and is another ongoing, golden legacy of her enormous output of work. And this first book in the series – a stunning gift-edition, gold-foiled hardback, complete with an angel ribbon marker – delivers a reassuring story rooted in modern life but with an ethereal and nostalgic charm, celebrating the close bonds of family, and packed with timeless messages about love, hope, comfort and belief.
It’s Christmas Eve. The tree is decorated, the presents are
wrapped and it’s a big day for Grace, who lives in a town by the sea. She is
singing a song in the nativity show and her fisherman daddy has promised to be
back in time to watch her. But when a storm blows up at sea, Grace walks out on
stage to find Daddy is not there. She’s very worried but luckily, Grace has
someone watching over her. Will Hope, the Christmas Angel, be able to help
Daddy get home safely for Christmas morning? The magic of Christmas and the joys of community, friendship
and family speak volumes in this warm-hearted tale… perfect for seasonal
giving.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)
The Boy With Wings
Lenny Henry and Keenon Ferrell
SPREAD your wings for a sky-high adventure with an
extraordinary hero in a funny and acutely perceptive middle-grade novel from
comedian, writer, philanthropist and award-winning actor Lenny Henry. Co-founder
of Comic Relief, Sir Lenny is a strong advocate for diversity and he teams up
here with illustrator Keenon Ferrell for a story that speaks loudly in
multicultural Britain. Ordinary kid Tunde is about to become an extraordinary
hero! Wings? Check. A super-cool, super-secret past? Check. An impossible
mission to save the world from a fur-ocious enemy? Check. When Tunde sprouts
wings and learns he’s all that stands between Earth and total destruction,
suddenly school is the least of his problems. Luckily, his rag-tag group of
pals have got his back and with his new powers, Tunde is ready to fly in the
face of danger. So what if he can’t even stand up to the school bully? He’s the
boy with wings… this is his destiny. No pressure then! Filled with Sir Lenny’s
trademark wit and sense of fun, but also with his empathy and keen eye for the
concerns of minority ethnic groups, this is a wonderfully inclusive story that
will have youngsters giggling and guffawing from first page to last. And as an
added bonus, readers can enjoy an exclusive comic book adventure illustrated by
Marvel artist Mark Buckingham.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)
Journey to the River Sea
Eva Ibbotson and Katie Hickey
ESCAPE the autumn winds and rain with a thrilling rainforest
adventure that is guaranteed to turn up the heat for young readers. This
beautiful, 20th anniversary, jacketed gift edition of Eva Ibbotson’s
award-winning classic tale set in Brazil’s Amazon – packed with the fabulous
colour illustrations of Katie Hickey – is the ideal introduction to a writer
who had the power to transport youngsters to faraway places. Ibbotson moved to
England from Vienna with her father in 1925 to flee the Nazis and died in 2010,
by which time her imaginative and humorous books had won prizes and the hearts
of adoring fans. In Journey to the River Sea, we meet Maia, an orphan, who can’t
wait to reach her distant relatives a thousand miles up the Amazon. She
imagines a loving family with whom she will share great adventures but instead
she finds two spiteful cousins who see the jungle as the enemy. Fortunately,
the wonders of the rainforest more than make up for the hideous twins. And when
Maia meets a mysterious boy who lives alone on the wild river shores, she
begins a spectacular journey to the heart of an extraordinary new world. Escapist
storytelling at its best… and a book to love, share and treasure.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £20)
The 143-Storey Treehouse:
Camping Hoots and Soggy Boots
Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
THE ‘wizards of Oz’ are back with their incredible,
ever-expanding treehouse and this time it has an incredible 143 storeys! Australian
writer and illustrator team – Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton – have turned
their zany adventure stories, featuring two young would-be publishing
sensations (unsurprisingly called Andy and Terry!), into a real-life reading
phenomenon. The success of the Treehouse series just won’t stop growing and the
amazing creators are climbing higher than high in the bestseller lists with
these wild and wacky, highly illustrated, laugh-out-loud books packed with
hilarious antics, jokes and cartoons. So climb the new storeys and discover a
word-o-matic, a wrecking ball, a deep, dark cave with a fire-breathing dragon
and a spooky graveyard (where it’s always midnight). And as Andy has been a bit
stressed, Terry has decided the perfect way for them to relax is to head up to
their new camping ground level for a much-needed holiday. But it turns out to
be not quite as relaxing as Terry planned! Easy-to-read, visually exciting and wonderfully
entertaining, the pace is fast and the fun never stops. So what are you waiting
for? Climb each level in fits of laughter in this glittering, blue-foiled
hardback edition which is ideal for Christmas gifting. Guaranteed to get even
the most reluctant readers begging for more!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)
Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature
Dara McAnulty and Barry Falls
DIG out your hat and scarf, pull on your walking boots and
take a wild, wandering and fascinating journey into the great outdoors. With
award-winning young activist and conservationist Dara McAnulty as your guide,
this wonderful gift book – brimming with amazing facts and fabulous
illustrations by talented artist Barry Falls – is the perfect walking
companion. The fully colour illustrated book opens in the author’s own back
garden and takes us into the hills, woods and ponds, pointing out his own
favourite animals and flora and fauna, all elements that fascinated him when he
was a child. McAnulty pauses to tell you about each habitat and how to explore
it, and provides fantastic facts about the native birds, animals and plants you
will find there, and there are activities to enjoy when you get home… plant
wild flowers, make a bird feeder, try pond dipping, make a journey stick and
build a terrarium. The ideal way to let children experience for themselves the
joy of connecting with the natural world and to do their bit to help save our
planet.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £14.99)
How Winston Came Home for
Christmas
Alex T. Smith
HERE'S a very special gift book that offers both brilliant
storytelling and a sackful of creative Christmas activities! Writer and
illustrator Alex T. Smith is back with a return visit into the action-packed
life of Winston the mouse for more storytelling, adventure and creativity in his
festive sequel to the much-loved How Winston Delivered Christmas. Innovative
and entertaining, How Winston Came Home for Christmas is written in 24½
chapters… one to share every day leading up to Christmas, and with each chapter
featuring its own Christmas activities for families and friends to make
together. It’s five days until Christmas and Winston has a mystery to solve. He
has hazy memories of another mouse and he knows that someone very important to
him is lost. After promising Oliver that he will be back in time for Christmas,
no matter what, Winston sets out on an exciting round-the-world adventure to
find the missing mouse, helped along the way by wonderful old friends and
delightful new ones too. Like an advent calendar counting down to Christmas,
each day also features festive things to make and do… you can make decorations
and Christmas food, and discover Christmas traditions from around the world. With
bright, bold illustrations, a foiled cover, and ribbon marker, and lovingly
wrapped in the author’s natural warmth and insight into what makes Christmas
exciting for children, this wonderful book is destined to become a family
favourite in the run-up to Christmas.
(Macmillan Children’s Books,
hardback, £14.99)
Constance in Peril
Ben Manley and Emma Chichester Clark
THE great outdoors poses untold hidden dangers for a rag
doll called Constance Hardpenny in a funny and exquisitely written and wrought
picture book from author Ben Manley and much-loved illustrator Emma Chichester
Clark. This is the exciting pairing that brought young readers the highly
acclaimed The Misadventures of Frederick and the top team work their magic
again on a delightfully playful story which blends vintage charm with a
free-spirited, modern and youthful zest to deliver a picture book full of
heartfelt messages about the joys of childhood, play and sibling loyalty. Edward’s
favourite toy is old cloth doll Constance who was rescued from a rubbish bin but
is still prey to potentially catastrophic incidents like being forgotten and
left out in the rain, trapped up a tree, and even being caught in the jaws of
the neighbour’s dog! Fortunately she is rescued each time by the watchful
Grace, Edward’s loving older sister, but is Constance doomed to suffer a life
of never-ending peril? Probably! Shared adventure, experiences and endeavour
all play a part in this playful and witty story which has been beautifully
created against a nostalgic rural backdrop, and is a vibrant and timely
reminder that youth is there to be enjoyed to the full.
(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)
The Fire Fox
Alexandra Page and Stef Murphy
COLOUR me blue this Christmas! Get ready for a feast of
rainbow magic, wild beauty and words of comfort and gentle joy in an
outstanding picture book that was just made sharing at bedtime on cold winter
nights. Exciting debut author Alexandra Page teams up with talented illustrator
Stef Murphy for a moving tale of love and loss inspired by the Finnish Saami
myth of the revontulet, or fox fires… the sparks that fly from the fur of a
mystical fox to become the Northern Lights. Freya and her mum have gone to a
little cabin to get away for a while. The light has gone out of their lives
since Freya’s dad died. Freya isn’t sure about going sledging, but when she
meets a magical fox in the snow, she can’t help but follow him into the forest and
on to a thrilling adventure. Filled with compassion and empathy, The Fire Fox is
a touching and timely reminder of the nurturing light of love that can never be
dimmed and the solace to be found in remembrance and acceptance. Add on a
silver-foiled cover and Murphy’s exquisite artwork, and you have the perfect
Christmas gift book.
(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)
Fly, Fly, Fly Your Sleigh!
John Hay and Garry Parsons
IT can’t be true, can it… is Santa refusing to deliver the
presents this year? Have fun, laughs and plenty of happy refrains with a merry,
madcap Christmas caper from debut picture book author John Hay and Garry
Parsons, illustrator of the smash-hit Dinosaur that Pooped series written by
McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter. Packed with brilliantly funny rhymes,
inspired by the much-loved song Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and accompanied by Parsons’
bold and anarchic illustrations, we head off to the North Pole on Christmas Eve
and find all is not well in Santa’s workshop. The elves are hard at work but Santa
is fed up and doesn’t want to deliver the presents. The elves are determined to
cheer Santa up with some jolly songs… starting with Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and
moving on to classics such as Hang, Hang, Hang Your Socks and Peel, Peel, Peel
the Sprouts. But can they get Santa smiling again and on to his sleigh in time?
Perfect for sharing in the run-up to Christmas, children will love joining in the
familiar tune and singing along with the elves… and they can even make up their
own funny Christmas rhymes. Comedy jingles all the way!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)
Robin Robin
Daniel Ojari, Mikey Please and
Briony May Smith
OH crumbs… here’s a beautiful, imaginative and simply
irresistible book set to become a favourite with families everywhere! Daniel
Ojari and Mikey Please’s heartwarming and utterly delightful story of a robin
adopted by a family of mice was inspired by the Christmas film created by
Aardman for Netflix and has been fabulously illustrated by Briony May Smith
whose work is inspired by fairy tales and rural folklore. Robin is so keen to
fit in with the mice that she fluffs her feathers into ears. But nothing can
make a noisy, clumsy bird good at sneaking crumbs… especially when the dreaded
cat is one the prowl! Yet Robin is
determined and, with the help of a friendly magpie, she finds her own way to
succeed, learning that she can be true to her own bird self and a loved member
of the mouse family. No child will be able to resist this warm and funny tale,
brought to glorious life by Smith’s gallery of adorable, eye-catching and colourful
illustrations. Guaranteed to capture the hearts of readers young and old!
(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)
Squirrel’s Snowman
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
THE award-winning Julia Donaldson-Axel Scheffler team are back with an adorable new
story in their much-loved Tales from Acorn Wood series starring a group of
furry favourites. Toddlers can get to know the woodland friends and join in the
gentle fun of their adventures with these foiled, hard-wearing lift-the flap
books featuring Scheffler’s bold and colourful illustrations and Donaldson’s
simple, appealing story full of warmth and friendship. Here we find it snowing
in Acorn Wood where Squirrel wants to build a snowman. Will she and her friends
find everything they need to build it? There are surprises on every page as
little ones open the flaps and doors in this wintry tale, and make their own
discoveries whilst learning the joys of books, playtime and reading.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, board book, £6.99)
No comments:
Post a Comment